Hydraulic transmission mechanism



July 5, 1938. E. R. GLENZINSKI HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FiledJune K, 1936 I ,5 Sheets-Sheet 1 f reys July 5, 1938. E. R. GLENZINSKIHYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1936 2/I if Jlily 1938. E. R. GLENZINSKI l 2,122,933

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISS ION MECHANISM Filed June 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 32a Axum/70 731, .J/Va/vrey:

July5, 1938 E. R. GLENZINSKI 2,122,938

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed June 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet '4fa ward/ergl l fl v July s, 1938. E. R. GLENZINKl 2,122,938

I Filed June 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 PM: in. 5, i938 2,122,938

UNITED STATES IPATENTOFFICE Edward R. Glenzinski, Winona, Mlnn.,assignor of one-half to Sylvester D. J. Bruskl, Winona,

Application June 15, 1936, Serial No. 85.273

6 Claims. (01. 121-88) My invention primarily has'i'or its object theproved transmission system applied to an autoprovision of an improvedhydraulic transmission mobile or motor-propelled vehicle to drive thesystem or mechanism; but also providesan imtwo rear traction wheels.Here it may be stated proved rotary motor per se. Rotary motor is thatin this application of the invention or other here used in a broad senseto include a motor similar applications, the customary differential 5 inwhich the rotor is propelled by mechanical gears" are eliminated andmade unnecessary,

means, such as an engine, in which case the thereby giving increasedroad clearance and permotor will act as a pump, and also anarrangemitting the body of the vehicle to be set closer ment wherein therotor is hydraulically proto the ground than where differential gearsare pelled by the delivery of fluid thereto under presused. 10 sure. Inapplication of the invention of the com- Referring to the drawings,wherein like charplete transmission system, one of these hydraulicacters indicate like parts throughout the several rotary motors will beengine-driven, so that views, the motor then will act as a hydraulicpump; and Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view in one more motors wibe hydraulic lly driven .plan showing the chassis of an ordinary auto-15 y fl de ed thereto from the p P ac Ii8 mobile having the improvedhydraulic transmisr master motor. f sion mechanism or system appliedthereto;

As a. further and important feature the inven- Ffg 2 is a fragmentaryView showing foot. involves an arrangement of fluid-delivery actuatedtreadle with connections for operating and devices between the h thethrottle, or choke valve controlling the speed 2 whereby, under constantdirection of rotation of of the er motor;

the rotor of the master motor the hydraulically Fig. 3 is an axialsection taken through the Propelled motor whom may he made reverslmaster motor and associated with an oil reserble, that is, rotated ineither direction. on the line of Fig.

Preferably, the master motor and the hydraulic Fig. 4 is atransversesection taken on the line 25 motor or motors will involvesimilar novel feaof Fig. 3 some parts being shown in tures ofconstruction. Such motors may be uti- Fig 5 is a imgmentary sectiontaken on the: lized for numerous different purposes. For exnne of Figample, they may be power-driven and used as pumps or, they may be drivenby water or fluid Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6of Fig. v3, some parts being shown in full; under pressure from anysource and used as motors for converting fluid pressure into rotary 7 isfraglhentary'section takeh Oh the motion. line I-JLpf Fig. 6,

The complete invention involves important 8 is a z g the h of novelfeatures that especially adapt the invensome parts 6 hg m eh away tionfor driving the wheels, either two or more, 9 is a fragmentary Sectiontaken on the 35 of an automobile or motor-propelled road veof 6; hicle;in which application the master motor will F184 10 is sectmn taken onthe line 'be driven from the vehicle engine and the several of 9;

. secondary or minor motors will be driven by fluid 11 is a fragmentarySection taken on e 40 circulated from thepump-acting master motor. lineof F183 some parts being broken The application of the invention fordriving a away; motorboat or an aeroplane or the like, will usually 8-12 is a Vertical Section taken on e ne require but the master motor andone driven of 11, some Pa s-bei b e w y; 45 motor, but even in suchapplications there can. 3 is a Section taken through One Of the 45 be asmany fluid-driven motors as there are prohydrau allyv n secondary m s,appr xipellers or the like to be driven. mately on the line i3 l3 ofFig. 1;

Various other applications of the invention or 14 fi- Section takenapproximately 0n the the motors thereof will be found and willnaturalline "-44 of Fig. 13. some parts being bro en ly suggestthemselves, andhence, no attempt w y; 50 will here be made to enumerateall the possible Fig. 15 is a fragmentary view showing a lower usesthereof. a part of one of the plates of the casing of the With the abovegeneral statements made, the motor illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, withparts invention will be described in connection with separated on theline l5-l5 of Fig. 14 and with the appended drawings which illustratethe imsome upper parts removed; 55

Fig. 16 is a side elevation showing two interlapping joint strips pulledapart or separated;

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the partsshown in Fig. 16: and Fig. 18 is aperspective showing one of the rocker-acting joint strips.

I will first describe the engine-driven pumpacting master motor, apreferred construction of which is here illustrated and is best shown inFigs. 3 to 9, inclusive, of the drawings. The main body of the motorcasing 2|], as shown, and preferably, is cast integral with an oilreservoir 2| and is provided with a removable side plate 22. Theinterior of the shell 20 is formed with an internal cylindrical surface23. Intake port 24 opens throughthe casing or shell 20 and a dischargeport 25 leads outward through the shell 20, thesaid ports, as shown,being located about 90 apart. Port 24 leads into the cavity of a largeboss 26 which, as shown, is provided with a detachable side'plate 21.The boss 26 is provided with a port 28 that is connected to the deliveryend of an oil intake tube 29, which latter preferably extends nearly tothe bottom of the reservoir 2|. Rotatively mounted between the ports 28and 24 isa throttle-acting choke valve 30, the stem 3| of which projectsthrough plate 21 and is'shown as provided with a projecting arm 32.

Discharge port 25 leads to the recessedinterior of a large boss 33formed on the shell 20 and, as shown, provided with a detachable coverplate 34. The recessed interior of boss 33 has a port 35 that leads backinto the reservoir 2|.

Inasmuch as the master motor here illustrated is especially designed forreversibly driving one or more secondary rotary hydraulic motors, the

boss 33 is shown as provided with diametrically opposite ports 36 and 31that communicate with the cavity of the boss 33 at diametricallyopposite points midway between the ports 25 and 35. Port 36 leads to apipe 38 and port 31 leads to a pipe 39.

Workingin the cavity of the boss 33'is a rotary reversing valve 40, thestern 4| of which extends through the plate 34 and is shown as providedwith an operating arm 42. The use-and operation of the valve 40 will bedescribed later on.

The rotor of this mastervmotor will be driven directly or indirectlyfrom an engine or primary source of power-which, in the application ofthe invention to a motor-propelled vehicle, will be the engine thereof.

In the drawings, see particularly Figs. 3 and 6,

the numeral 43 indicates the engine crank-shaft or a shaft driventherefrom. This shaft, as shown, is extended through the oil reservoir2| and is mounted at one end of -the reservoir in anti-friction bearing44 and extends through a packing gland 45. Said shaft is extendedthrough the other wall of the reservoir and which wall is the inner wallof' the shell or casing of the master motor and, as shown, is extendedthrough a long journal bearing 46. The axis of the shaft 43 isconcentric to the axis of the cylindrical surface 23. The rotor of thismaster motor is keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft 43 and,as shown, comprises a hub 41 having three radially projecting propellerblades 48, the outer edges of which run in close but preferably notquite frictional contact with the cylindrical surface 23.

The cylindrical surface of the rotor is of a novel and peculiarconstruction and arrangement. It is made up chiefly of circumferentiallyexpansible and contractible segments that are arranged to run in annulargrooves or runways 49 formed 2|l--22. These runways 49 are eccentric tothe cylindrical surface 23 and to the axis of the.'

shaft 43. Here it is further important to note that the outer surfacesof these runways 49, at points midway between the ports 24 and 25, aretangential to the cylindrical surface 23, but at diametrically oppositepoints are very considerably radially distant from said cylindricalsurface.

A, pipe 58 which, in the complete arrangement hereinafter more fullydescribed, leads back into the reservoir 2|, see particularly Figs. 1and 4.

The rotor of this mastermotor, in addition to the hub 41 and its blades48, comprises a cylindrical shell or drum made up of circumferentiallyexpansible and contractible joint segments that are wider than theblades 48 and whose edges are arranged to travel in the runways orgrooves 49. Each of these so-called circumferentially expansible andcontractib-le joint or drum segments, in the preferred form of thisnovel structure, involve two lapped segments 5| and 52, see particularlyFigs. 3, 6, 16 and 17. The bodies of the sections 5| lap into thereduced portions of the sections 52. The sections 5| have segmental lapflanges 53that work in grooves 54 formed in the sections 52. 52 areformed with semi-cylindrical seats 5|a and 52a in which work thesemi-cylindrical bodies of end joint strips 55. The flat surfaces of thestrips 55 work slidably against the faces of the propelling blades 48and are yieldingly pressed into such engagement by spring-acting links55, the ends of which are shown as seated in recesses 51 formed in thesaid sections 5| and 52. The ends of the rocker-acting joint strips 55project beyond the joint segments and travel in the guideways 49.

It will now be seen that the segmental joint strips or members 5| and52, together with the blades 48, form a complete closed circularstructure and that the joint segments or sections travel a course thatis eccentric to the axis of the I rotor and to'the axis of thecylindrical surface 23 so that under rotation of the rotor, the blades'48 will move radially between the flat surfaces of the rocker-actingstrips 55 and the latter will maintain oil-tight joints with the saidblades.

Also it is evident that as the joint strips move closer to the axis ofthe rotor the sections 5| and 52 will move into closer overlappingengagement, as shown at the bottom of Fig. '6, while as they move to orfrom the upper portion of the cylindrical surface 23, the said sections5| and 52 will be pulled farther apart, .but at all times, willmaintain' sealed joints between the cylindrical surface 23 and theexterior of the rotor drum made up chiefly of the said sections 5| and52. To permit a free flow of the oil or other fluid from one side to theother of the blades 48 in the spaces within the travelling drum or shellof the rotor, said blades are shown as provided with passages 58. I

The rotor will be assumed to be rotated in a counter-clockwisedirection, in respect to Fig. 6. Under this direction of rotation theoil or other fluid being pumped will'be drawn in through the intake port24 and will be discharged through the outlet port 25. The amount of oilthat is being pumped may be regulated by adjustments of thethrottle-acting choke valve 30. For the present it is suflicient tostate that with the structure so far described, the oil will be drawnfrom the oil reservoir and always discharged through in the fixed andmovable'walls of the casing.-

The extended endsof the sections 5| and the port 25 regardless of theadjustment of the valve 40, at this point see particularly Fig. 10.

The secondary or fluid-driving hydraulic pump or pumps are each'verymuch of the same structure as the master pump, above described, seeparticularly Figs. 13, 14 and 15, and hence, corresponding parts areindicated by the same nu- The ports 24 and 25, respectively, areconnected to pipes 38 and 39 that lead from connections presently to bedescribed. Near its bottom or midway between the ports 24' and 25' thecasing 20' is provided with an intermediate port 59 that is connected toapipe 69, see Figs. 1, 11,12 and 14. The rotor of this secondary motorcomprises a hub 41 having, in the preferred arrangement illustrated,five projecting propeller blades 49 that are notched at their innerportions to afford passages 58'. The hub 41' is secured to a short shaft43 that is journaled in and projects through the hub of the shell 29'.Except for the number thereof, the circumferentially expansible andcontractible joint segments that make up the shell or drum of the rotorare of the same structure as those illustrated and described inconnection with the master motor, and hence, the

corresponding parts are here marked with the characters 5!,52', 55, 53',and 56'. The projecting cylindrical ends of the rocker-acting jointstrips 55 and the edges of the sections 5l-and 52' here work in circular.guideways or grooves 49- formed in the case sections 29"and 22', For apurpose which will presently appear, the head plate 22', in its lowerportion, is formed with an oil escape channel 6] that is incommunication with the port 59.

With the motor just described, his evident that if oil or other fluidunder pressure be forced into the casing through the port 24-; 'therotor of the motor, see Fig. 13, will be rotated in a counterclockwisedirection. As the blades 48' pass the port 59, the oil thenunderpressure will be permitted to escape through the port 59; but oilnot discharged through port 59 will be carried on and discharged throughport 25.

The operation of the master motor and of the one or more secondarymotors, insofar as they are individually concerned, is thought to havebeen made clear, and I will now describe these motors as applied to anautomobile or motor-propelled vehicle to drive the rear traction wheelsthereof.

In Fig. 1 the numeral 62 indicates the chassis frame of an automobile ormotor-propelled vehicle, which frame, at. its front end, is assumed tobe spring-supported in the customary way from front steering wheels 53.The rear portion of the frame 62 may be assumed to be supported onsprings 64, see Figs. 11 and 12, in the conventional or any othersuitable way.-

In this application .of the invention, the oil reservoir 2|, whichdirectly supports the master .motor, is bolted or otherwiserigidlysecured to the rear end of the engine frame 65, which latter is rigidlysecured to a cross beam 62a and other parts of the chassis frame 62. Inthis arrangement the shaft 43 of the master motor will be aligned withthe crank-shaft of the engine 65 and J will be either an extension ofsaid crank-shaft or other suitable means.

will be secured for rotation therewith. The engine 55 will usually bethe customary internal combustion engine, but may be a prime mover ofany suitable type as far as this invention is conets 66 rigidly securedto the intermediate portions of the springs 64 by nut-equipped U-bolts61 or At this point it may be now noted that the pipe 38, whichcommunicates with pipe 38, is, at its ends, connected to the ports 24 ofthe two secondary motors; that the pipe 39, which communicates with pipe39, is, at its ends, connected to the ports 25' of both secondarymotors; and that the pipe 6|], which communicates with 'pipe 50, is, atits ends, connected to the ports 59 of both secondary or fluid-drivenmotors.

It may here also be stated that the pipes or tubes 38, 39, 50, 38, 39'and 69 may be of flexible or yielding construction if desired or foundnecessary in any particular instance.

In Figs. 11 and 12 the means for driving the rear traction wheels fromthe rotors of the secondary or pressure-driven hydraulic motors isparticularly illustrated. By reference particularly to Figs. 12 and 14,it will be noted that the caseforming sections 20 are provided withheavy and strong axially projecting gudgeons or non-rotary hubs 68 onwhich the rear wheels 69 are journaled by means of ball-bearings 10 orother suitable devices. Also the wheels are held against lateraldisplacement on the hubs 68 by the usual or any other suitable means,such as nut-held washers H. The motor shafts 43 are journaled in bushing46 of 20' and in the hubs 98 through which they'project and are providedwith clutchacting caps 12 keyed or otherwise rigidly secured thereto forrotation therewith. These caps 12, of the structure illustrated, havenotched flanges that interlock with the hubs 13 of the respective wheels69 so that said wheels will be independently driven by the respectivesecondary motors.

In this application of the invention for driving the traction wheels ofa motor-propelled vehicle, it is desirable to provide a foot-actuatedtreadle or lever for readily adjusting and setting the throttle-actingchoke valve 30 of the master motor structure; hence, as shown in Fig. 2,I have, as shown, provided a rock-shaft 14 to which is secured an arm 15connected by a link 16 to the valve arm 32. Rock-shaft I4 is shown asjournaled in a bearing on the oil reservoir 2| and on the frame 62 andis provided with a long arm 11 to which a foot-piece 18 is pivoted. Thisfootpiece 18 is provided with a ratchet-toothed arm 19 which, by rockingmovement of the foot-piece 18, is readily engageable with anddisengageable from a detent or lug 80 on the base of the reservoir 2 I.

General operation In a general way the operation of the master motor andthe secondary motors individually have been described; and I will nowdescribe the operation of the motors applied to an automobile ormotor-propelled vehicle in the manner illustrated in the drawings.

The valves "30 and 40, see particularly Figs. 7-8, and. 9-10, will beassumed to be set as shown in said views. Then, when the rotor of themaster motor is, by the power of the engine, rotated in thecounter-clockwise direction, heretofore stated, oil will be drawn fromthe bottom of the reservoir through the pipe 29, port 28, passage ofvalve 30, and port 24, and will be forced out through the discharge port25. From discharge port 25 the oil will be forced through port 36, pipes38 and 38' to the intake ports 24' of the two wheel-driving secondarymotors. Pressure of the oil forced against the propeller 8', that hasjust passed the port 24', will cause the rotors of the wheel-drivingmotors to rotate in the direction to produce forward movement of thevehicle. The pressure of the oil will act upon the propeller blade 48',that has just passed said port, until the next following propeller bladepasses said port 24'. As the propeller blades 48' pass the intermediateport 59, the oil pressure will be released and the oil will flow outthrough said port to oil return pipe 60 of the two motors and fromthence through pipe 50 back into the oil reservoir 2|. The oil that isnot discharged through said intermediate port 59 will be carried to port25' and from thence will be returned to the reservoir 2| through pipes33', 39, and ports 31-35.

In this arrangement the rotors of the wheeldriving secondary motors maybe reversely driven without changing the direction of rotation of therotor of themaster motor simply by turning the reversing valve 40, 90 soas to set the same at one edge midway between the ports 25 and 35 and atits other edge midway between the ports 35 and 31. when the said valve40 is thus set, the flow of oil to and from the secondary motors will beas follows: From port 25 to port 31, out through pipe 39 to pipe 33',thence to the ports 25' of the two secondary motors (which will causethe rotors of the two secondary motors to be driven in a clockwisedirection), from secondary motors out through the two ports 24' to pipe33, back.

through pipe 38 to port 36, from thence to port 35 to reservoir. Whenthe rotors of the secondary motors are'driven, as stated, in a clockwisedirection, the wheels will be rotated in a direction to cause themachine to'back up. In this reversal of the rotors of the secondarymotors, the main return of the oil to the reservoir will be the same aswhen the motorsare driven as first described in a direction to drive themachine forward, that is, the main body of the oil will be dischargedthrough port 59, pipes 63 and 53, back into reservoir 2|.

The purpose of the escape groove or passage 6|, shown in Fig. 15, is topermit reduction of partial vacuum in the space between blades 48 of thesecondary motorsas the said blades approach the ports 59.

In practice I have found that the best results are obtained in themaster or primary motor by providing the rotor thereof with threepropeller blades; and providing the rotors of thesecondary motors withfive such propeller blades. Of course, the number of blades may vary inboth instances, but it will be found that a greater number of blades aredesirable on the rotors of tion of the second half of the rotation. Inthe case of fluid pressure-driven hydraulic motors,

such as described, the force of the oil under pressure on the propellerblades of the rotors, takes place during less than the first half of thecomplete rotation of the rotor, and hence, the importance of giving freerelief to the discharge of the 011 after it has exerted its power on theblades of the rotor. -This relief of pressure and release of the oil bythe provision of the intermediate port 59 and return therefrom is highlyimportant.

From the foregoing description and statements made, it will beunderstood that not only are the novel motors here described broadlyclaimed, but that the combination and relative arrangement of thevarious motors is also broadly claimed. Also it will be understood thatthe preferred arrangement illustrated in the drawings is capable of awide range of modification within the scope of the invention hereindisclosed and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a rotary machine of the character described, a casing having acylindrical inner surface with intake and discharge ports, a rotorconcentrically mounted in said casing and having propeller bladesclosely following said cylindrical surface, and circumferentiallyexpansible and contractible joint segments in circular arrangement,mounted to move in a circular path that is eccentric to said cylindricalsurface and the axis of said rotor, said joint segments being wider thansaid propeller blades and working in circular grooves formed in thewalls of said casing, and resilient coupling links located in saidannular channels, spanning the respective propeller blades andconnecting the joint segments that are immediately on the opposite sidesof said blades.

2. In a rotary machine of the character described, a casing having acylindrical inner surface with intake and discharge ports, a rotorconcentrically mounted in said casing and having rigidly connectedpropeller blades closely following said cylindrical surface, andcircumfer: entially expansible and contractible joint segments incircular arrangement, mounted to move in a circular path that iseccentric to said cylindrical surface and the axis of said rotor, saidcasing having a third' or intermediate port and the wall of saidgcasinghaving a vent conduit extended circumferentially on opposite sides ofsaid third port, as and for the purposes set forth,

the circumferential. distance between said third port and said intakeand discharge ports being greater than the circumferential distancebetween the propeller blades of said rotor, said propeller blades inwardof said joint segments having vent passage extended therethrough, andsaid joint segments being evenly pressed against the propeller bladesagainst which they are interposed.

3. In a rotary machine of the character described, a casing having acylindrical inner surface with intake and discharge ports, a rotorconcentrically mounted within said casing and having rigidly connectedpropeller blades closely -following said cylindrical surface, andeircumferentially expansible and contractible joint segments made up ofslidably lapping sections in circular arrangement, mounted to move in acircular path that is eccentric to said cylindrical surface and yieldingmeans holding the extended ends of the sections of said joint segmentsagainst the propeller blades between which they are interposed.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 in-which the sections of said jointsegments are wider than said propeller blades and work in circulargrooves formed in the walls of said casing.

' The structure defined in claim 3 in which said joint segments at theends of the sections thereof are concave and engage convex surfaces ofjoint strips, the flat sides of which slidably enthereof are concave andengage convex surfaces of joint strips, the flat sides of which slidablyengage the adjacent faces of the respective propeller blades, said jointstrips having approximately cylindrical ends that embrace the side 5edges of said propeller blades.

EDWARD R. GLENZINSKI.

